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Monday, November 26, 2012

SECCG - 2008 blackout effect?

I keep hearing about the 2008 game between Georgia and Alabama being referenced in discussions in and around the upcoming game between the two teams. Part of this is because it is the last time they met prior to Saturday's championship game. But most of it is continued, tired and regurgitated belly-aching over the costume change and the epic fail that the 2008 game turned into.

I guess I understand that, but to say that game over four years ago will have any measured effect on Saturday's is a stretch to say the least. To back that up I decided to look into exactly which players were on the roster in late September 2008. Here's what I found:

Taylor Bradberry

Sanders Commings

Ty Frix

Tavarress King

Jamie Lindley

Ricky Lowe

Bacarri Rambo

Christian Robinson

Richard Samuel

Cornelius Washington

The only two players I could find that had any bearing in the 2008 Blackout game were Richard Samuel who was seeing spot duty at running back and Jamie Lindley who had two kickoffs in the game, one of which was a successful onside kick. Everyone else was redshirting or facing the probability of redshirting.

Coaches? Ok. Richt obviously, then you had Tony Ball coaching RBs, John Lilly in his first year, Bobo, McClendon as a grad assistant, and Rodney Garner. So roughly 8% of the current roster was on the sideline for the 2008 game and roughly half the coaches.

Nothing heightens the Georgia fans' fervor like a mention of a blackout. Even though Coach Richt has drained the fake juice from the tank and has said since August that there won't be a costume change at all this season, we either get excited at memories of 2007 Auburn or agitated that we're even going down that road again, depending on which camp said Georgia fan's tent is hitched to. Most of that is Richt's fault for continuing to allow these wardrobe headlines into the discussion.

But the team has moved on. Have the fans? In large part I would say no. But the bigger issue is that I don't see that last meeting between these two teams having any effect whatsoever on this year's SEC Championship game. Do you?

Bernie's Dawg Blawg is not affiliated with the University of Georgia or any other institution or organization. It's use is meant solely for your utter boredom as well as a complement to your working knowledge of all things DAWG.